Explore the Hills of Headwaters

About Doors Open

WHAT IS DOORS OPEN?

According to the Ontario Heritage Trust ...

The first Doors Open Day (La Journee Portes Ouvertes) took place in France in 1984. The idea soon spread to neighbouring countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Scotland. In 1991, these events were united as European Heritage Days at the initiative of the Council of Europe. In 2003, all 48 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention participated in European Heritage Days.

In 2000, the City of Toronto launched the first Doors Open event in North America. In 2002, the Ontario Heritage Trust launched Doors Open Ontario, the first province-wide event of its kind in Canada. The Doors Open concept continues to spread across North America with events now being held in Newfoundland, Alberta, Massachusetts, Western New York State, New York City and Denver.

Every year, Doors Open Ontario attracts large crowds across the Province. From April to October, residents and visitors are invited to discover first-hand Ontario's hidden heritage treasures, some of which are seldom open to the public.

Since the program was launched in 2002, nearly 2.5 million visits have been made to heritage sites participating in this exciting initiative. Doors Open Ontario, now considered a cultural phenomenon, will be even larger in 2010 with hundreds of communities participating in over 56 events across the province.

WHAT IS DOORS OPEN? (2)

Such is the nature of federal / provincial politics in Canada that Heritage Canada offers a completely different version of the origins of the Doors Open programme ...

Doors Open originated in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1990 as Doors Open Days and quickly expanded nationwide under the overall coordination of the Scottish Civic Trust. It evolved into Scotland's contribution to European Heritage Days, launched in 1991 as a Council of Europe initiative, and spread across Europe. By 1998, 19 million people had visited some 28,000 sites in forty-four countries.

Doors Open first arrived in Canada in 2000 when the city of Toronto's Culture Division, under the auspices of Heritage Toronto, launched Doors Open Toronto. By 2002, the event had exploded with over one hundred buildings and 130,000 visitors joining in. Participating buildings included the famous Victorian-era Don Jail, the 1892 Flatiron (Gooderham) Building, and the magnificent R.C. Harris Filtration Plant. That same year, seventeen Ontario cities and towns (from Cobalt to Windsor) organized their own Doors Open events, with the encouragement and support of the Ontario Heritage Foundation under the Doors Open Ontario banner, with similarly encouraging results.

WHEN IS IT?

Doors Open events are scheduled throughout Ontario from April to October, each year. In 2010 over fifty different communities will participate. For information about all of the events visit www.doorsopenontario.on.ca or telephone 416 325 5000 and ask for the Doors Open Guide.

Locally, the Fourth Annual Hills of Headwaters Doors Open event is scheduled for Saturday, July 10th 2010, 10:00am to 4:00pm.

For local information contact the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association: info@thehillsofheadwaters.com.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

Anyone is welcome to tour the Doors Open sites. There are no admission fees.

The following `tips' are recommended by the Ontario Heritage Trust for the benefit of individuals or families considering embarking a Doors Open tour.

1. Plan your Doors Open Ontario visit ahead of time. Pick up maps and site listings from the community organization listed on this website. Request a Hills of Headwaters Visitor's Guide and Map online. Be the first to know about event details in the Hills of Headwaters - subscribe to News from the Hills.

2. You don't have to be a heritage expert to enjoy a Doors Open adventure. Select sites that interest you most. Doors Open allows you to tour stunning sites that may not normally be open to the public -- free of charge!

3. Confirm the dates and times your chosen sites will be open. Most sites are open from 10 am to 4 pm -- plenty of time for visits, tours, meeting friends, lunch, taking photos, refreshment breaks and travel time.

4. Allow enough time to travel between sites. Look for sites clustered together to save time. Rural and remote sites require extra travel time. If you have special needs or are touring with children, allow more time.

5. Plan to visit a maximum of five to eight sites a day -- more than that and you are rushing. Most site visits take 30 minutes. You may have to wait to get into the more popular sites.

6. Some sites may offer guided tours, special lectures or exhibits. Confirm the length and time of tours so you can schedule them into your day and avoid disappointment.

7. Ask questions. Not everyone knows the difference between Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Volunteers are only too happy to explain or find the answer for you.

8. Thank community volunteers for giving their time to open these fascinating sites.

9. Enjoy other places of interest in the picturesque neighbourhoods and towns you are visiting. Take a cruise on a heritage boat. Enjoy lunch in a nearby restored heritage site. Buy a souvenir or gift. Stay overnight at an historic inn.

10. Plan a Doors Open Ontario day-trip or overnight getaway in another community. Most of all ... have fun!

I WANT TO HOST A SITE

Sites included in Doors Open events must be of historic, architectural or cultural significance (natural heritage sites and heritage gardens are eligible).

If you own a site that meets the Ontario Heritage Trust criteria and falls within the Hills of Headwaters cachement area, we will be happy to consider your site for inclusion on the tour.

To do so we will need a fifty (50) word description of your site, and a reproduction-quality photograph of the site that is three inches wide by two inches high and 300dpi to ensure inclusion on the Ontario Heritage Trust Doors Open website.

Ten of the sites from each participating community are chosen by the Heritage Trust for inclusion in the printed Doors Open Guide.
Inclusion of any specific site in the Guide is not guaranteed.

The Hills of Headwaters Doors Open sites are also expected to pay a nominal fee, to assist with local promotion of the event. The site fee may be waived where deemed appropriate by the local Doors Open organizing committee.

Experience has shown that the most successful Doors Open events are those which are hosted by the property owners, or knowledgeable volunteers or staff.   And also that seasoned Doors Open clients expect to learn something from visiting each site.

BENEFITS

Involvement in Doors Open Ontario will ...

• Promote pride in your community's heritage;
• Educate the public as to the importance of conservation;
• Encourage interest in local conservation projects;
• Integrate heritage and culture into community planning;
• Draw visitors from other areas of Ontario, Canada, and abroad;
• Generate economic and business opportunities at the community level;
• Foster strategic alliances among a range of community partners;
• Create opportunities for sustainable community tourism development and partnerships.

In addition, approximately 530,000 copies of the full-colour Doors Open Guide are printed each year (500,000 English and 30,000 French).

Approximately 200,000 copies of the Guide are distributed province-wide in the Globe and Mail.

The Ontario Heritage Trust website receives over 180,000 visitors a year (more than 6 million hits).

www.doorsopeninthehills.ca had close to 11,000 pages viewed in the past 12 months.

WHO VISITS DOORS OPEN SITES?

Headwaters experience has shown that about half of the visitors are local, and the other half travelled considerable distances to attend.

The City of Toronto (alone) reports that they have enjoyed 1,000,000 Doors Open visits since Doors Open Toronto started in 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

For local information about Doors Open in the Hills of Headwaters, please contact the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association: info@thehillsofheadwaters.com or telephone 800-332-9744 or 519-942-0314.
www.doorsopeninthehills.ca